The process for opening a new store or location of a retail and/or wholesale establishment requires a variety of tasks to be completed. Such tasks include determining opening inventory, ordering inventory and inventory transfers from other existing stores of the establishment, establishing vendor and marketing relationships, determining price for items, printing shelf tags, and ordering store and sales signs. Typically, such tasks need to be completed within a short period of time to minimize cost. Thus, computers have been used to help prepare for the opening and operation of a new store.
In a new store staging facility, data is entered and/or transferred to new store computers for opening and operation of new stores. Each new store computer within the new store staging facility corresponds to a new store. For example, a new store computer may include data associated with existing store(s) proximate to the location of its corresponding new store. In particular, inventory, pricing, and sales information for existing store(s) proximate to the location of the new store may be entered into the new store computer corresponding to the new store to determine inventory and pricing for the new store. After the new store computer has been downloaded with information for opening and operation, the computer is shipped to the location of the new store.
Ideally, each new store computer includes the most current data of existing store(s) proximate to the location of the corresponding new store to determine opening inventory and pricing more accurately. However, space limitation in the new store staging facility mandates that the new store computers are downloaded with data and shipped out to the corresponding new stores immediately to make room for other new store computers. Also, the new store computers may not be updated after leaving the new store staging facility and during transit to the corresponding new stores. That is, the new store computers may include data from the initial download only when the new stores may need the promotional and/or seasonal information for opening and operation. Further, the new store computers may not be easily accessible because of the location of the new store staging facility and/or the location of the new store. For example, the location of the new store may not be proximate to the location of the new store staging facility. Thus, personnel from different departments and/or existing stores may not be able to access the new store computers and assist with the process of preparing new stores for opening and operation.
More importantly, new store computers may not have enough sales data to determine potential sales and to order inventory accurately for corresponding new stores. For example, a new store computer may not have sales data of product from the past quarter to assess potential sales of the product at a corresponding new store. Thus, during the early months of the new store, a surplus or a shortage may occur for any given item.
Therefore, a need exists for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the process for opening and operation of a new store.